BBC EXPOSÉ SHOWS URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO END CAGE BED HORROR

4.28.00pm GMT Tue 15th Jan 2008

A BBC Documentary to be shown this evening will uncover continued widespread use of cage beds in children's institutions in the Czech Republic.

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, who is Vice President of the European Parliament's All Party Disability Intergroup and jointly led a campaign in 2004 that led to the Czech Government bringing forward its ban on cage beds commented:

"We have been calling upon the Czech government to eliminate this barbaric practice for some time. Despite assurances won during their accession to the European Union and a hard won ban on the use of cage beds in the Czech Republic, it is clear that continued abuse is widespread.

"This is a question of human rights - there is no justification for the use of cage beds which is an appalling practice and completely unjustifiable according to human rights law.

"The new UN Convention on the rights of disabled people clearly establishes that such cases of blatant human rights abuse against disabled people are not acceptable in the eyes of the international community. I hope that other EU countries and the European Institutions will now apply pressure on the Czech Republic and indeed any other countries where such abuse is uncovered.

"I have written to Czech colleagues in the European Parliament, in addition to the current Commissioner for Disability issues, the former Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, and hope real pressure is applied to see an urgent review of the implementation of the ban by the Czech authorities as well as commitment to the de-institutionalisation of all disabled people."